Measuring device



March 23, 1937.

D. W. UBER MEASURING DEVICE Filed AprilV 16, 1936 WTE Patented Mar. 23, 1937 PATENT oF'FIcE MEASURING DEVICE' Daniel Wl Uber, Kane, Pa.

Application April 16,

2 Claims.

The improved measuring device comprising the present invention is primarily adapted for use in determining' the depth ofl a wellby'measuring the cablev thereof as it islowered into the well, thus Y length of 'afline regardless-ofiitsfnature or of the use tol which it may be put.

The present invention is designed asl an improvenient over the apparatuses shownV anddescribed in United States 13a-tent No. 1,228,991, issued to me June5, 1917, and has-for its principal object a generalsimplicationi of the structures disclosed in the said patent, together with a material increase in the. eiciency thereof.

More specically, it is anA object of th'e'present invention toprovide a measuring instrument in which-the tendency" for slippage of the cable through the same is reduced to a minimum, thus increasing thev accuracy of the device.

Convenience of arrangement of parts, durability, comparative strength and rigidity of construction, together with a material elimination of weight as made possible by the elimination of intermeshing gears, are further desirable features that have been borne in mind in the production and development of the present invention.

Other objects and advantages oi the invention not at this time more particularly enumerated will become more readily apparent as the nature of the invention is better understood, and the same consists in the novel construction, combination and arrangement of parts shown in the accompanying single sheet of drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is a horizontal sectional view taken through the assembled device showing the same applied to a cable,

Figure 2 is a sectional view taken substantially along the line 2--2 of Figure 1, and

Figure 3 is a detailed side elevation of a counter or indicia driving mechanism employed in connection with the present invention.

In all of the above described views, like characters of reference are employed to designate like parts throughout.

The assembled device is shown in measuring position on a cable Iii of a well I2, and comprises a supporting frame designated in its entirety at I4 adapted to be positioned over the well with the cable passing downwardly through the frame and associated with a measuring mechanism carried by the latter.

The measuring mechanism comprises a pair of 1936, Serial No. 74,770

rollersor wheels I6 and IBT, respectively',` theaxe's-fof rotation ofI whichoccupy'alcommon horizontal plane but which are inclined with respect-to each other in such a manner that the vertically-extending portion ofthe well cable I0 may be brought to bear tangentially upon the peripheries of'both rollers-IiiI and I8'to impartlrotational movement-` to the rollers by traction as clearly shown in Figure 1.A The rollers I6 and I8A are preferably iden'- tical in construction, each having a measured circumference whichivmayi betwenty-four inches or for convenience some other-'multiple' of twelve.

The peripheral surfaces of theV rollers' I6 and |85 arey preferabl'yflat to Vinsure equal measuredA tracL tionon the cable IILy In order to attain-more' perfect traction'therollersfmay if desired beA pro'- vided with rubber tiresiIS; 'I'herollers'IBandl I8 arefmounted` upon shafts 20and' 22 respectively` to which they arekeyed andthe outer ends'of theseshafts'are journaled in bearings 24'carried' bydivergingiportions of the frame I4.' The inner adjacent ends of the shafts 20 and 22 are supported and journaled in similar bearings 25 carried by the frame I4 and are connected together by a flexible coupling or universal joint 26. Thus 2 the rollers I6 and I8 are compelled to rotate in unison at the same rate of speed, deriving their rotational movement by tractional engagement of their peripheries with the surface of the cable I0 as it passes downwardly into the well I2. It is to be borne in mind that any suitable mechanical expedient may be employed for insuring synchronous rotation of the measuring rollers I6 and I8. However, the specific use of a flexible coupling or universal joint contributes to the lightness and compactness of the measuring device by the elimination of heavy gearing, while at the same time economy of manufacture and comparative ease of assembly together with facility of transportation of the device is attained.

Keyed or otherwise secured to a shaft 28 suitably journaled as at 3U in the frame I4 is a pressure roller 32 similar in its design to the rollers I6 and I8. The axis of rotation of this roller occupies a common plane with the axes of rotation of the rollers I6 and I8. The peripheral ledge of the pressure roller 32 is designed to bear against the vertically extending portion of the cable Il) and urge the same against the pe.- ripheral edges of the rollers I6 and I8. Toward this end the pressure roller 32 is so positioned with respect to the mutually inclined rollers I6 and I8 that the force applied by it to the cable I0 is equal to the resultant forces or vector of the pressure applied to this cable in the opposite direction by the combined action of the rollers I6 and I 8. Since the axes of rotation of the measuring rollers I6 and I8, together with the axis of rotation of the pressure roller 32, all occupy a common horizontal plane, the points of contact between the peripheral edges of the rollers and the surface of the cable I 0 at any particular instant occupiT a common horizontal plane on the periphery of the cable and thus the cable is firmly engaged and compressed by the rollers at three adjacent points and any tendency toward slippage is prevented.

An indicating device or counter 34 is positioned on the frame I4 and is designed to be actuated by rotational movement derived from the shafts 20 and 22. In this instance the indicating device 34 is shown as being driven directly from the shaft 22 through a train of gears 36 (Fig. 3). The indicating device 34 records either the number of linear feet traveled by the cable I0 in its descent into the well or the number of revolutions of the measuring rollers I6 and I8 from which, record of the linear travel of the cable may be calculated.

Thus, when the length of cable is lowered into the well through the measuring device in the manner described, as the tool strikes the bottom of the well, the indicating instrumentality Sil will stand as a record of the consequent depth of the well.

It is to be understood that various changes inv the details of construction may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention. For example, while the indicating device has been shown as depending for its operation upon a train of gears actuated by the shaft 22, other actuating means operable either from the shaft 20 or the shaft 22 may be employed. Similarly the dimensions of the measuring rollers, in so far as they are maintained identical in circumference are immaterial. Only in so far as the invention has particularly been pointed out in the accompanying claims is the same to be limited.

I claim:

1. A measuring device for ascertaining the length of cables or the like comprising a frame, a pair of measuring rollers mounted upon shafts journaled in said frame the longitudinal axes of which occupy a common plane and are inclined at an acute angle towards each other, the adjacent ends of said shafts being connected together by a flexible coupling whereby said rollers are compelled to rotate in unison, said rollers being adapted to derive rotational movement by traction of their peripheries with the surface of said cable, a pressure roller for maintaining said cable in tractional contact with the peripheries of said measuring rollers, and an indicating device operable from one of said shafts.

2. A portable measuring device for ascertaining the depth of wells or the like by measuring the length of the cable thereof comprising a supporting frame adapted to be arranged above the well, a pair of measuring rollers mounted upon shafts whose longitudinal axes occupy a common horizontal plane and are inclined at an acute angle towards each other, the outer ends of said shafts being journaled in the frame, the inner adjacent ends of said shafts being connected together by a flexible coupling whereby said rollers are compelled to rotate in unison, said rollers being adapted to derive rotational movement by traction of their peripheries with the surface of said cable, a pressure roller mounted for rotation in said frame and adapted to have its periphery 

